My four years of high school came and went quite quickly. Freshmen orientation turned into senior prom in the blink of an eye. Field trips, exams, football games and lab reports all blur together now. As I meander my way through my college years, I sometimes catch myself reminiscing about the time I spent walking those narrow halls, spinning my locker combination, and eating the barely cooked cafeteria chocolate chip cookies. I also find myself thinking back to time spent in your classes, sometimes learning and sometimes wishing I could press fast forward to escape my predictable high school days.

Although eager to grow up, the role you played in my education will never be forgotten. In a school full of apathy and busy work, you were a diamond in the rough. You are a strange breed, an uncommon occurrence in the world of academia. You wanted to teach more than was on a test. You cared for my education before I learned to care for it myself.

Thank you for your patience when my exams were not completed with the rest and my absences were plentiful. On the days when getting out of bed and facing an eight-hour school day was too much, you accepted my late work and offered extra help.

Thank you for your passion that is often neglected in a curriculum. Your desire to teach what you think is important shines brighter than any powerpoint ever could.

Thank you for knowing how to push me academically. The practice AP exams and essays sucked at the time, but the ability to bypass gen eds is one of the greatest gifts you've ever given me. Public speaking wasn't my favorite project of choice, but it has forced me to become a better communicator. I have more confidence because of you.

Thank you for looking the other way sometimes. We both know I hadn't forgotten to attach the email file with my homework on it. There was no completed file to attach. But despite the tardiness, you still accepted my bullsh*t excuses.

Thank you for being human. When sports, work, and school forced me to walk into that 7 a.m. class late, with wet, often dripping hair, you wrote me a library pass so I could go get a much-needed cup of coffee. You understood my faults and accepted my quirks.

Thank you for caring about what I had to say. Your questions forced me to critically think instead of template think. You wanted to know my opinion and thought process. You did not belittle my intelligence.

Thank you for educating me on the world. You didn't ignore current events or tragedies. You did not sugar coat the world. Your unplanned lectures and hour long tangents were never a waste of time. Your acknowledgment of a world beyond the four walls of a high school classroom was refreshing.

Thank you for the opportunities you provided me. You supported my talents even when I didn't consider myself talented. You nominated me for awards, wrote me letters of recommendation, and cheered me on.

Thank you for continuing to be a part of my academic journey, even now, as I come back with reports on jobs, roommates, and of course, school. Your continued advice and guidance does not go unappreciated.